Before adding a DAC, the first important steps are:

• Completely disable the iTunes 'Sound Enhancer' (in the Playback tab in Preferences)
• Completely disable the iTunes Equaliser
• Try to avoid using the iTunes volume control - the AirPort Express is only 16bit so doesn't take kindly to having it's signal scaled for volume control
• Try to avoid using the iTunes 'Sound Check' for anything other than shuffle mode and/or parties (where it's an absolute lifesaver!)

Alex wrote:

Before adding a DAC, the first important steps are:

 

• Completely disable the iTunes 'Sound Enhancer' (in the Playback tab in Preferences)
• Completely disable the iTunes Equaliser
• Try to avoid using the iTunes volume control - the AirPort Express is only 16bit so doesn't take kindly to having it's signal scaled for volume control
• Try to avoid using the iTunes 'Sound Check' for anything other than shuffle mode and/or parties (where it's an absolute lifesaver!)

Then look at a DAC. On a budget, the Cambridge Audio DAC Magic is a great piece of kit...

 

Thanks Alex!

I'll make sure to check all those.

I'm on a max 1000 euro budget on this one, I was looking at different options at different price ends, at the top end the Benchmark DAC, and at the lower end the one you recommended, the DAC magic from CA.

I'm pretty familiar with the CA products, and I can have a further 30% off on them, so this might be the route for me? At roughly 200 euros after discount, it must be a steal?

Hi Andreas

I to have purchased a Cambridge Audio DAC. I did however hardwire my mac mini through beoport and to my beocentre 2.

The DAC made a significant difference, though i still can tell the difference listening to a high bit rate mp3 and CD. Certainly the DAC does make a difference though, even to NRADIO, which is almost bearable now!

Generally im still disappointed with the sound of some mp3's but i cant always get the tracks i want in CD format or lossless format- eg a DJ track that is only around in 320 mp3.

Good luck with your purchase, I'm it will make a big difference

Best Wishes

David

Just a Cambridge for an Express? Hmm, not sure if I would do that...

I would trade the Express for the Squeezebox Touch. It has a very good DAC, a really good review from the critical Stereophile magazine:

Terve Andreas,

I have an iMac, CA DAC, Ouverture and BL4000's, and for me the DAC was a big improvement. I have a wire from DAC to Ouverture though.

This is not a scientific opinion, i've not tested w/wo DAC, but to me, eg. YLE Areena stream through browser sounds pretty awesome.

Pekka

Is this for use with your BeoLab 5s? If so I would definitely suggest the Benchmark DAC, which really is absolutely excellent.

Of course the most ideal route to go down would be digital out of the Airport straight into the BeoLab 5s, which will sound quite a bit better, but this isn't always possible with more complicated setups...

DoubleU wrote:

Just a Cambridge for an Express? Hmm, not sure if I would do that...

I would trade the Express for the Squeezebox Touch. It has a very good DAC, a really good review from the critical Stereophile magazine:

link

and has a lot more to offer then if you stick with the Airport Express.

Doesn't this review recommend using a DAC other than the one built into Squeezebox?😕

Airport Express digital out has been said to have sloppy timing, which may cause some otherwise good D/A converters to have synching issues.  You'll need to watch out for this as you make your choice.  I myself intend to get a converter, but haven't gotten around to it yet.

-- Paul

Puncher wrote:

DoubleU wrote:

Just a Cambridge for an Express? Hmm, not sure if I would do that...

I would trade the Express for the Squeezebox Touch. It has a very good DAC, a really good review from the critical Stereophile magazine:

link

and has a lot more to offer then if you stick with the Airport Express.

 

Doesn't this review recommend using a DAC other than the one built into Squeezebox?😕

Not if your on a max 1000 euro budget.🙂

As far I see it, the review stated that the Touch’s DAC performs well, comparable to listening to other DAC’s  if your on a budget, but is no match for the very expensive DAC’s.

Using the Touch's analog outputs (and, therefore, DACs) was another story. The sound was clearly inferior to what I heard via the processing and D/A in the Classé and Meridian processors, but good enough that I could distinguish mashed low-bit-rate streaming from the better stuff, and even an HD download from a 16/44.1 download. It was just that the quality levels of all recordings were shifted down a notch or two by the Touch's analog outputs. The Touch's analog outputs were still eminently listenable, if not fully revealing of the source materials, and comparable to listening via the analog outputs of the Oppo BDP-83.